


a lack of proposal

by alohacowboy



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff without Plot, M/M, smitten!arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26822878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alohacowboy/pseuds/alohacowboy
Summary: arthur is a terrible gift-giver, just truly abysmal(part 3 of a 4-part series; set 1-2 years after 'bite the hand')
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 170





	a lack of proposal

The city is grey and washed-out in the early December night. Arthur touches his fingers to a window on the shopfront, and the water slides down his skin. He breathes to clear the window, rubs the rest of the condensation away with the side of his fist; his reflection is washed-out, cold, breathless with all of this life.

He buys the groceries for the week and smiles as he walks home, feeling the cold in his lungs, the ruddiness in his cheeks.

It's then that something catches his eye. He buys it because it is perfect, and he curls his hand around it in his pocket.

When he returns home, Merlin is asleep on the couch after a long shift at the hospital, and Gwen is making tea in the kitchen, humming softly along with the radio as Arthur dances around her to load the fridge.

Lance looks up at him from where he's been reading at the kitchentable, smiling warmly at Arthur.

Arthur grins back at Lance, and goes to lean over the arm of the couch, barely resisting waking Merlin up.

Merlin is a sleepy curl, warm and soft-mouthed, the long fan of his sooty eyelashes mesmerising, and Arthur _loves_ him. 

Arthur comes around the couch and kneels, breathless with the fulsomeness of emotion. He wants to put his cold hands on Merlin's cheeks, shock him awake, heart pounding like Arthur's is, boyish careless affection. He wants to _kiss_ Merlin, share in Merlin's sleep-warmth, his bright effervescent laughter. He wants to be good enough for Merlin, to have the eloquence to tell Merlin how _dear_ he is to Arthur.

In the background, Arthur hears the door to the flat open, the sound of Gwaine and Lance greeting each other in soft tones.

'S'disgusting,' Arthur hears Gwaine say, dramatically _sotto voce_ , 'the way those two _pine_ when I've never seen a surer thing in my entire life.' Arthur raises his arm behind his back and flips Gwaine off.

Gwaine and Lance laugh like two idiots.

And, that's when _Merlin_ lifts two sleepy fingers and flips them off as well.

Arthur smiles when Merlin blinks at him, the very vibrant blue of his eyes brightening with every second he looks at Arthur. Arthur smooths the blanket across Merlin and wonders at how his fingers tremble, his heart fit to burst: Arthur has a present, something beautiful and worthy, and he's not going to wait, he's going to ask Merlin soon.

**Author's Note:**

> part 4 and end of this series titled 'forever deal' link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28699038


End file.
